The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds primarily for music, calls, and meetings, and are willing to invest more, the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) would be better due to their good overall sound quality, comfort, and additional features like spatial audio and the H1 chip which offers low latency—perfect if you're using them with Apple devices. These earbuds also provide excellent build quality and are sweatproof, making them suitable for exercise. Conversely, the Baseus Bowie MA10 offers a budget-friendly option with very good mic quality, build quality, and earbud controls, but they fall short in sound quality for music and calls. They are stemless, which could be preferable if you're looking for a more discreet design, and they are also larger, which might affect comfort. Additionally, they support sweat and dust resistance and have longer battery life, which could be important if you're away from charging options for extended periods. Both have similar battery life without the case, but the Airpods offer a significantly more compact earbud carry size and wireless charging, which could be a convenience factor worth considering. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods (3rd generation)
Good for music
Good for phone calls
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Baseus Bowie MA10
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.1/10
5.8/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is good for music, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6/10
5.3/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is good for phone calls, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.6/10
5.7/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.7/10
The Baseus Bowie MA10 is only fair for noise reduction, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has 6 hours of battery life. The Baseus Bowie MA10 has 8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$179
$23
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has a price of $179 and the Baseus Bowie MA10 costs $23.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has excellent build quality, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 has very good build quality.
"The Apple AirPods improves upon the 2019 model with its more ergonomic, yet unsealed, fit, water-resistant build, MagSafe charging case, and advanced software features. You can enjoy a wholly immersive movie experience with the new AirPods' spatial audio with head tracking, and enjoy HD audio during FaceTime calls. Of course, most of these features are limited to Apple hardware."
"Even if the Bowie MA10 only had some of the features and performance they offer at double the price, they’d be a helluva good value. But given that they far exceed any other earbuds at this price, if you’re looking for an ultra-affordable set of wireless earbuds and you don’t mind their big charging case, you just can’t go wrong."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) or the Baseus Bowie MA10
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.